21st Century Samurai
by NerdingheimOppa
Summary: Based upon Ikemen Company's game, Ikemen Sengoku, is an adventure in which, Nobunaga and his lover, instead of staying in the past, go to the future together, back to her 21st Century. Once the proud leader of the Oda Clan, Nobunaga is, now, left completely awestruck at the sights of 21st Century Kyoto. How about the rest of the world...?
1. Primary Note

So, to play with the Ikemen company's Sengoku Otome, I wanted to take the story and twist it a little. Where the story is that MC ends up getting taken back in time thanks to a time-rift, she has a certain amount of time before it opens again. But, like the standard cheesiness of Otome implies… she stays back in time with her lover, in this case, Oda Nobunaga, instead of going home.

However, I want to change that. Where she is a little torn about going home to the future, she decides to go. However, Nobunaga, having heard from her about how the 'past' was supposed to go, goes with her to the future instead, as he was supposed to be dead on the day she arrived.

Voltage's Samurai Love Ballad: Party [God, I love Japanese titles-] had actually played with a modern version, following the idea of reincarnation. Again, this is a dating sim- for both Nobunaga and, my love, Takeda Shingen. This, though, is not 'reincarnation'. It is Nobunaga choosing to follow MC into the future, to keep with history and his death, joining her in the 21st century.

Also, it should be mentioned, that one of the characters, Sasuke- is from the game. He was with MC when she was sent back, he from her time, and he gets sent back 4 years before. He is an astrophysicist and a studier of the more theoretical physics, like wormholes- He is the one to assist her when she gets there and helps her get safely home, in this story- It should also be mentioned, that he assumed the role of a fictional ninja of the time period, Sarutobi Sasuke, whom he was actually named after by his weeb parents.

This will include a lot of Japanese in it, and I apologize. I am not a native speaker, however a student and avid culture fan. As I am adept in some of the language, many of the cultures and customs, as well as many other facts of Japan.

You can assure this will be appropriate, not only to the 16th century, approximately 1582 [when Nobunaga was supposed to pass], but also current Japan. Named after my name for MC- Now, let's start-

[Note added on 10/29/17] - The beginning of this was written when I had first started writing this story. And, what I wanted to be a one-shot with a surprised and awestruck Nobunaga, had turned to what I had wanted to see- A series of adventures for the samurai out of time. Seeing all that there is about the 21st Century. It is obviously a romance. There will be language, obviously. And, considering who the protagonist is, Nobunaga, it will be sexual. So, expect that. If you'd rather it be a x-reader- sorry, go ahead and just input your name instead of 'Yuki'. It is based off of a dating sim.


	2. Prologue From Kyoto to Kyoto

Standing in front of the burned Honnō-ji temple was Sasuke, he tapping his foot as he glanced back to the temple. He was waiting to see if Yuki was going to show up to head back home. It was the day the portal was opening back up. The day of their only opportunity. It was now or… never.

He feared, however, that she might wish to stay back. From his intelligence gathering, he knew that Yuki was close with the Lord of Azuchi Castle, Lord Nobunaga. And, he feared her relationship with him was too close to risk separation, that she would stay here with him. However, these thoughts were merely such, he knew that she was smarter than that, right? She had told him of her bet with Nobunaga, that she had to win her way back, he hoped that- according to the slightly twisted bet, that she wouldn't end up stuck in the Azuchi castle.

However, those thoughts ceased at the loud galloping of a horse from the shadow bathed path, a large brown horse jumped out from between the trees. A surprised look graced his features at the scene, watching the horse jog up, slowing down as it neared him. And, at the front of the horse was Yuki, she calling to him as she rode. What was more of a shock was who was behind her. Oda Nobunaga.

"Sasuke!" She called, now the horse was slowing to a halt, Nobunaga holding the reins of the horse. "I'm here!" She looked exhausted, a little winded. "I'm not late, right?" And, then, she carefully got down from the horse, Lord Oda following right after her.

"You're not late." The ninja muttered, giving her a momentary glance, but then his eye focused on Lord Oda. How to reply to the lord, how to question his existence here. Why was Lord Oda here? "It seems you brought a friend with you, Yuki?" He questioned, using a more modern term, one the samurai was not comfortable with.

"'Friend'?" Nobunaga almost grumbled, cocking a brow while shifting his weight from his left leg to his right. He was wearing his armor, with all the swords at his waist and a bag over his shoulder. Knowing he was leaving, he grabbed a few things; his full kimono, his favorite book, his glass Konpeitō jar, his special Goban board, his dagger, and crest, branded in metal. "I am more than her 'friend'. Now, aside the assumption, who are you? State or die."

"Well-" Despite the grumbling of the samurai lord, Sasuke continued with a simple sigh. "Dear Oda, I am a friend of Yuki, from our timeline, about 500 years from now." The inflection of speech made the samurai grumble under his breath. "My name is Sasuke. Now, may I ask, as I do hold much more of a right to question- But, what are you doing here? We're leaving tonight."

"That is MY business." Lord Oda replied, a fraction of a pout at his lips as he folded his arms over his chest. And, before Sasuke could reply to the Lord's more obnoxious childishness, Yuki spoke up.

"Well, Nobunaga had decided to go with us." She explained, coaxing another grumble from the Lord and another shocked look from the ninja. "I told him how our timeline went, and what happened to the samurai, especially him-" Her voice came out as a mutter for a moment. "And, it is his choice to go with us. Right?" She looked to Nobunaga and he mumbled a huff under his breath, turning away and likely blushing out of sudden change of character.

"Oh?" Sasuke questioned, raising a brow at the tyrannical warlord. "Well, besides the obvious issues with taking someone from the past to the present-" He mumbled, "But, I assume you ironed out the kinks before coming." He sighed softly, giving a look to the two before him. He was trying to think of ways in which Nobunaga's presence could affect the present, but nothing was obvious, since all that came to mind was fiction.

"Of course we did." Yuki started with a soft smile, nodding her head. She looked to Nobunaga with a look that seemed more… sheepish. "He had a few interesting ways to leave. I feel he took a page out of our century's playbook- Apparently, we're going with the suicide note and faked death."

"Interesting." It was a little odd that Lord Oda was now quiet, but it was likely because he had nothing else to say, just listening to the two speak. Sasuke nodded his head, a little surprised with the samurai Lord's choice, but this is the Lord of Hell, Oda Nobunaga. "Are you prepared, however, to go?" He asked the Lord of Azuchi.

"I would assume I am." Nobunaga muttered with a shrug, giving Sasuke a side-glance.

"You would assume you are?" He questioned back with a raised brow. "You will be the first person in history to travel to the future and your only reaction is you assume you are?" Sasuke was a little unsure with Lord Oda's reaction. "I would be terrified. Yuki and I were both terrified when we arrived." And she nodded in agreement.

"You two are a lot in common." The samurai grumbled, looking from Yuki to Sasuke. He spoke about how they act, he had warmed up quite a bit to Yuki, he would go so far to say that he loved her. And, there were similarities between their behaviors. He seemed to dodge the question and the topic, instead responding to their actions.

"It's okay to be afraid, Nobunaga." Yuki said gingerly, giving him a sweet smile. "Fear and weakness is what makes a man." He made a small, embarrassed mutter, plopping his hand atop her head and ruffling her hair. He was thankful for her kind words, she is sweet- and somehow innocent. And, with his gingerly actions, she grinned up at him happily.

"The portal should open up any moment now. Prepare yourself." Sasuke said rather firmly, nodding his head as he looked around.

"Nobunaga." When Yuki spoke up, he looked to her, having just given the ninja a look she couldn't completely read. Fear? Was he scared? No? Or was he merely upset with Sasuke's presence?

"What?" He had, actually, at first, made a small moan of a response, a soft syllable. But, realizing it wasn't good enough, he responded with more than a hum. His arms were, again, crossed over his chest, and his gaze away, similar to how Sasuke was holding his own not three feet away.

"Are you ready?" She had asked softly, there a look on his face as soon as her voice left her lips. "I know you were already asked, but I'm serious. I just wish to help you if you are feeling uncomfortable. Okay?" And, once more, the samurai lord raised his left eyebrow, it thinly cocked high.

"I already told you I am." Nobunaga huffed, not as much as the growl from earlier, with how he spoke to Sasuke. She gave him a knowing smile. Why? He was going to ask her why, but chose against it, turning away with the softest scoff. Then, there was a warmth in his hand, her own hand. "Yuki-" Her name slipped his lips, she giving him a soft smile.

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh, is it not?"

"It is not." She hummed, giving his hand a firm squeeze. The way she smiled gripped and tugged his heart, she standing before him in the clothes of her time. She had explained it as a white collar shirt- it's a type of job? The buttons lined the front, top to bottom, and she wore something called a pleated skirt, with heels. Such odd clothes. "Nobunaga, you're going to be going to a foreign place and time. You're leaving your accustomed life, to one you've never seen. It's going to be about 500 years from now. Are you sure you're okay with that change?"

"I-" He muttered, grumbling at the way his voice cracked. "I'm fine. I have you." They way his cheeks tinged as he squeezed her hand was sweet- Adorable.

"Besides that being the cutest thing ever-" She giggled, "I just want to make sure, since the technology of the future is not something you are used to. I have no way of knowing how you'll react, you have no way of knowing what you'll see. I want you to be happy, knowing you made the right choice. Okay?"

"Well-" Nobunaga trailed off, trying to put words to the feelings he had. It took his forever to put the word 'love' to his feelings for her. She made a fair point, he could understand that. But… He didn't know what to say. Was he fearful? He's a warlord, of course not!... Is what he would say. He was scared, just a little.

"It's okay to be scared." She told him once more, giving his hand the softest, yet firmest of squeezes. "I just want you to know it's okay to be scared, and to rely on me. Not too long ago, when we were fighting against the Uesugi and Takeda, you told me that you trust me to know your feelings and thoughts. That I am the only one to know. So, don't be afraid to trust me now. You did just say that you'd be fine because you had me." The way she giggled made his heart thump.

"Then- give me your strength, Yuki, and your support, with it, I could take on God." A small grin etched the samurai lord's face and he gave her hand a firm squeeze, he glad to have her at his side. Especially, now, on a journey as frightening as she said.

"You know I already am." Yuki hummed, looking to Sasuke, who seemed to be looking anywhere but at them, flustered. The ninja was more or less deciding, himself, whether or not, to stay. He found himself at an impasse; Yuki, his fellow friend in this once-in-a-lifetime journey, was leaving back to their present, but he had grown ever close to the people of this universe, of this time He felt he would miss both of those groups. Yuki and those of the Uesugi and Takeda. They were his family. Maybe he decide in the moment.

It was silent in that moment, the two 'love-birds' as Sasuke kept from calling them, quiet and holding one another's hand. The temple they stood at was burned, nearly to a crisp, leaving very little left of its original form. Such a sad thought. A beautiful temple completely destroyed. To Sasuke, it was such a tragedy. He had, however, been given a chance to see it in its glory.

There was a heavy feeling in the air, a high pressure- if one was to put a more scientific term to the feeling. Sasuke made the softest of muttered to himself as he thought, making Yuki look to him. It was likely that they were going to be going very soon. The ninja turned, watching the two shift their bags a little to something more comfortable. The more uncomfortable the air, the more obvious it was that they were that much closer to them going.

The way the air felt dense and heavy was odd, an energy, almost, making the air tingle, it made it feel that very soon they were going to leave. It was such an indescribable feeling. Electricity seemed to weigh down the air, more and more, in that moment, every second. Sasuke made the softest mutter, looking back to the two lovers. The way he nodded his head signalled to them that it was time to head out, time to prepare themselves physically and mentally to leave, time to ease their nerves.

"Any moment now." Sasuke said, making Yuki steel her nerves. Her jaw tensed a little in preparation, her small hand holding onto the strap of her purse ever tighter. Nobunaga, too, tensed his body, a momentary flash of fear in his eyes. The ninja felt an odd sense of thankfulness at the fear of the great samurai general. It showed he had some humanity, surely not as heartless and demon-like as history seems to say. He was, indeed, human, and that thought made him smile.

Now, the air felt tense and, ever more so, dense. It seemed it was truly 'any moment now', or, at least, that is how the air made it feel. Hand-in-hand, the samurai lord and his lady resolved themselves to leave. For a moment it seemed to grow dark, even with the night. Then, suddenly, all too light, a bright, white light, that seemed so intense. An almost stingingly white light, that seemed like staring into the sun. And, as fast as it appeared, it disappeared. To darkness. Making it now feel as if they were weightless. To the point of nothingness.

Yuki stirred, waking to a familiar feeling, one that she had felt not three months before. But, this time, instead of awaking besides Nobunaga in the burning of the Honnō-ji temple, it was back at the same monument and memorial for the temple that she had left from. Though, her body was softly sore, she stood to her feet, brushing off her clothing of any dirt or dust. Laying near her and next to the large stone placard, of sorts, was Lord Nobunaga himself, and, not feet from them, was Sasuke.

"Nobunaga." Her voice was soft as she called to her lover, now kneeling back down at his side. Her small hands gingerly brushed the hair that stuck to his forehead aside, giving his cheek the softest of pats to awake him. "Nobunaga…" When she says his name again, holding his cheek, he slowly stirs. His rusty, blood-colored eyes fluttered open at her soft calling, he shifting a little.

"Y-Yuki- Wh-where are we…?" The samurai lord's voice came out with the slightest of rasps, his eyes looking from her face to the area around them. The large amounts of polished and finely cut stone… The memorial plaque… the large pillars near… the ground below him… Everything, but the roof to the memorial was stone. Beautiful polished granite, that glistened with the ambient light of the city, the soft lights at the outdoor memorial, and the lights of the nearby metropolis that is Japan's cityscapes. It was a shock to the male out of his time, such light without fire, such nice craft of stone-

"We're in Kyoto, my time, of course." She explains gingerly as she helps him sit up, only to turn her head to Sasuke. "Sasuke?" She called to him softly, he, too, stirring awake. He made the slightest groaning, rubbing his head as he sat up. He seemed to have hit his head when he had shown up, leaving the slightest bruise under his hair. "Sasuke?" When she called for him again, he nodded and put his hand up, showing with a simple gesture that he was okay.

"I'm fine. Make sure Lord Oda is." The way Sasuke said that seemed sarcastic, but he couldn't completely tell. 'Lord Oda' only nodded his head from the word of the ninja, looking to his lady at his side. It was more of a teasing jab to refer to Nobunaga in such a way, but it was not like he minded. Lord Oda is his name, is it not?

"I am alright frightful ninja, fear not." Nobunaga grumbled lightly, sitting up more. Sasuke made the slightest of glares, rolling his eyes in reply to the samurai's similar teasing jabs. Now, hoping to tease the ninja further, he, now, adds an extended flourish of words, playing more at the royal and dated actions. "Do help me up, my lady, for your grace is all I need to find every ounce of my strength." But, a hearty chuckle left him, breaking his joking ruse as he stood to his feet while grasping her hand. "I kid." He voiced simply, "I kid. For it was merely a joke."

"Yes, yes, very funny." Sasuke hummed simply, nodding his head. Though Sasuke thought it childish, Yuki was flustered warmly as she helped her lover to his feet. The ninja fixed his glasses upon his nose, looking to the lord of the past before him. With the softest of groans at the pain from suddenly showing up on the bed of stone, he stood straighter and firmer, fixing his own bag at his shoulders. In the bag was his own clothes of this time, his research both modern and that from the past, as well as but a few of his items from his ninja studies. "Yuki, you live near here, yes?" When she nodded, he continued to speak. "Then let us head there. Or, at least, let me escort you home."

"Alright. Let's." She had replied gingerly with the softest of smiles, and led them from the shrine and into the city. What was like a park tucked away in the middle of a maze-like metropolis, they stepped out into the once capital city of Kyoto. How Nobunaga had left it was far from what he saw, stepping out onto the sidewalk.

The shock on the samurai's face was ever evident, his eyes like saucers. His face was similar to that of a kid in a candy-store, looking to and fro at each skyscraper that stood stories above him, at the bright lighting, neon lighting that lined the buildings and covered the city, at the cars zooming down the road. This was starting to make sense to Lord Oda. He finally understands the worry of his two travel mates. The overwhelming fear and awe, that seems to handicap him, ease him as his body stands stiffly, captured by this all.

In comparison to the war-ruined castles and many small, grungy towns that Nobunaga was used to, this 21st century Kyoto was something he had never imagined. These skyscrapers- though he didn't know the name- made his castle look like a doll house. Azuchi Castle was the largest castle in Japan, then, but compared to what stood before him…? Not even close. He was used to the dull, orange light of fire, candle or lantern. But, what was that bright white… blue… pink… yellow… green… that rainbow of color? Every color he was aware of, it seemed- lined the buildings. Moving too! What is this sorcery…?

It's not everyday that the great Oda Nobunaga is shocked, and so wordlessly. He is a lord that is hard to frighten, or surprise, like many samurai are, but, now, he couldn't even find the air in his lungs to try. He felt breathless. Well, it does actually seem possible, now, to see something so beautiful it takes your breath away, he was aware of that now.

"Should we tell him that this is only one city?" Sasuke asked Yuki, making her hide a giggle behind the back of her hand. "Not even Japan's most impressive. Kyoto doesn't hold a candle to Tokyo." Nobunaga looked to the ninja with a shocked look, wait- this wasn't as impressive as it gets? "Kyoto is definitely holding it's own, but this city is still full of older architecture and many shrines and rural areas. Forests all around. Tokyo is the most impressive, by far, technicallogically and socially- Home to what- 9.3 Million people? That's over six and a half times the people here."

Nobunaga felt like he choked at the information told to him. 9.3 Million people-?! It was a challenge, most of the time, to have ten thousand soldiers fighting for the Oda Clan. 9.3 Million sounded like something of fantasy. His Japan grew to be something of legends… Grew to be exactly what he wanted. An itching pride built in his stomach, the unification wouldn't have happened without him, it was a great pride booster. Not without him, Akechi Mitsuhide, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Why don't we keep going? I live just up the road." Yuki said simply with a sweet smile, hoping to get them to hurry up and off the streets. Nobunaga already looked like he was going to have a heart attack- After a quick agreeance, they all started walking up the street, passing two street lights, seven shops, a convenience store, three restaurants, a clothing store, a grocery store, and an apartment building before getting to Yuki's residence.

It was a decent sized condo, among a set of what seemed like ten. It was something Nobunaga didn't understand, she explained it as American- He had no idea what 'American' was either. What's 'America'...? A new European culture? An art style? When she opened the door, he peered around curiously. Sasuke walked in, thanking her for entrance, a newer custom, before slipping off his shoes and walking right down the hall, which is an older custom.

By the front door was a small hallway, it was really only a third of the full hall. It had a step, not six feet from where he stood, that had a mat and four pairs of shoes next to it. Sasuke's. A pair of plastic… boots? Something he recognized as sandals. And… A pair of odd white and black shoes, with laces. At both sides of the walls were these short cabinets, of sorts, like desks. They had doors on them, with glass panes, which he had never seen before. He could see inside them, too. Books. Wow… There were a few things atop the cabinets, like charms and statues of some deities he recognizes from what Kennyo had taught.

"C'mon." Yuki hummed softly, closing the door as she walked in, locking it with a loud 'CLACK' which caused him to jump a little. She had slipped off her heels, letting out a happy sigh, and stepped onto the shined wooden floor. It was like tatami, but far more impressive. He had nodded, looking down to his feet, what to do about that- The complicated boot setup was far different than their shoes, he knew how to take them off, yes- But, it wouldn't be as smooth as bare feet. He made a soft mutter and she smiled, bending down at his feet and helping them off. "You won't have a page anymore to help you dress, you'll have to learn how to take care of your clothes yourself."

"Alright." Nobunaga had no other words to use, that was all the air his body had to speak. She helped him out of knee-high, complicated armored boots. They were similar to a sock, almost, with wooden, paper-like weaved plating for protection. On the sole of the foot, was a hard, wooden base, that would be similar to a rubber sole of a tennis shoe. It was like assembling an Ikea bookshelf, a large set of pieces that took a bit of practice and skill to put together and take apart appropriately. What made it all the more fun, was the layers- Atop the foot was a metal sheet, shaped to the foot, also for protection. And, down to last layer, was a sort of ankle sock, separating his toes in the the iconic-two set, which the Japanese were known for.

"You can keep your socks on." She hummed, and he raised a brow, nodding, but not understanding the word she used. She gingerly set the armored shoes in the corner, besides Sasuke's ninja flats before stepping up the stair and walking down the hall. "I can get some tea started. Sasuke?" She called, and he poked his head out from the bathroom. "Do you think you can turn on the lights? I don't mind privacy- for now." She told him, he nodding his head. She meant, she didn't really mind if he went around and turned on a bunch of the lights. He, then, exited the bathroom, moving on to get to lighting the place.

Nobunaga had no idea what to do, he staring around in awe. This was her house. It was a little bigger than his room in Azuchi, and he was the lord of the castle! It had two floors? Impressive. His rusty eyes peered at the wooden staircase, following it up to the dark top above. He'll pass for now. And, instead, decided to follow his lover like a lost puppy. She walked down the hall, and right into a doorway on the left, not 10 feet from the door. When she turned on the light, he felt that breathless feeling again, not that he hadn't felt it already.

This room was a kitchen? The kitchens he remembers from his time look like nothing like this. They were small- dirty- Full of shelves and mediocre dishware. This- Was all shiny, metal- What in the name of all hells is this?! There were many cabinets, all with those glass panes again, inside was full of dishes. There was a large metal box, taller than him, with two doors on it. And, when he touched it, it was cold. Upon closer inspection, there was a little screen on it… And, a slot cut out of it, maybe 15 centimeters long, by 23 centimeters tall, and 10 centimeters deep. What was it?

"That's the refrigerator. Go ahead and open it, if you want." She offered with a soft smile, going to a lower cabinet to the ground, and pulling out a porcelain teapot. He recognized that. It was similar to the one's from his time. She filled it with water, and set it on another metal box. A stove, it seems- Makes fire with a flip of a switch. He, then, watched her grab a set of three teacups, and a tray. It was a familiar sight. So, in the future, old traditions still live? She indeed had a tradition tea making set, pulling out a little container of dried leaves.

"Mm." He responded, as a 'yes', of sorts. And, turned his attention to the so-called 'refrigerator'. What was it…? When he open the door, he jumped. "How in the hell-?!" He let out an sound that was a little surprising of a warmongering samurai. Immediately, there were giggles from his lover, who found his behavior utterly humorous. "It's- Frozen, like you left it in the snow. How?" He muttered, looking at the items he later figures out are in the 'freezer', then opening the other side, everything was cold, but not frozen. How- Odd!

"A refrigerator is supposed to be that way." She explained softly with a smile, watching the water heat up on the stove. "It's meant to preserve food. I could keep things in there for years, if I really wanted to. You can either freeze food, like here-" She pointed to the side he opened first. "Or, I can keep them cool, like this side-" And, her finger pointed to the other side.

"I- I see." Nobunaga made out, nodding his head as he made the softest gulp. Imagine a world of the Sengoku with one of these- Famines would be far more rare. They would keep food for a long period of time. It'd be- it'd be amazing! When she smiled at him, he blushed a little and closed the fridge. She did seem to be enjoying his surprise.

"It's nice…"

"What is?"

"To see you like this. So- surprised by the future. It makes me feel better. You teased me so cruelly for being surprised with your time."

"Well-" Nobunaga huffed, crossing his arms. "That's because-"

"You're cute." Yuki hummed with a smile, taking a step to him and pecking his cheek. "It's okay. There's far more here that will shock you, than how your time scared me, I will assure you that- But, I'll help you. Promise. And, so will Sasuke."

"Y-you're cute…" He huffed in reply, turning his head away in flustered and embarrassed anger. His lady, though, was certainly one he trusts. One he was comfortable leaving in charge of his castle, and in charge of the care of his men at war… One he wouldn't have minded seeing as Lady Oda. With a grumble, he plopped his scarred, calloused hand atop her head, ruffling her hair.

When the water finished boiling, she grabbed the tray and told Nobunaga to follow her. She had the cups, the leaves, the tea making tools, and the pot with freshly heated water on the tray, moving smoothly through the house. Impressive, and he was told by her, that this wasn't what she wanted to do with life. People, in his time, could become tea experts, just to serve lords. But- she has skill with that, and other things. It seems, like few of his time, many people are great at many things in this time.

She walked so effortlessly, down the hallway, to the doorway that was most obvious from the front door. It was on the opposite side of the hallway from the front door. It led to something called a living room, it was like his great hall, sort of. She set the tea tray down on the small table in the center, then sat down on what was actually tatami this time. How… odd. Sasuke, soon, entered the room, sitting down on the mat not far from her and the samurai, eventually, sat at her side, parallel to the table.

"Sasuke, may I ask you a question?" The samurai heard Yuki ask as she gingerly prepped the tea in front of her with skilled hands.

"Sure. Hit me." Nobunaga feigned from slapping or hitting the ninja.

"You live near here, yes?"

"Yes. Not a fourth of a kilometer from here. And, my lab is in Fukui. Why?"

"Well- besides being curious and wanting to keep in touch. It would be mostly because I need help in assimilating Nobunaga to life, here, in the 21st century. He's a handful, reminds me of my little cousins." She laughed, making him silently laugh.

"Understandable."

"And, I want him to have a familiar face. Someone, besides a historian, who knows where he is coming from. We are the only three people, we know of, who have travelled time, or are still living from the Sengoku era. It'd be nice if he had a friend… a male friend."

"Also understandable."

"Friends with Kenshin's ninja?" Nobunaga spoke up, making the softest of grumbles as he looked to the same man in mention. The two locked gazes, glaring for a moment. "Meh- I don't see why not. He kept you safe, Yuki- He's a decent person." He muttered, making the female smile.

"Then, you agree?" When she asked, Nobunaga nodded, and so did Sasuke. "Great! Thank you very much, Sasuke. We'll, hopefully, make you feel like this was the proper choice, Nobunaga." She gave him a soft look.

"I already know this is the right choice- Love, for a samurai, it seems, is only once in 500 years…" He muttered, making her fluster a rosy red along her cheeks. What a cheesy line. Even Sasuke was a little impressed, hiding a chuckle. "I'm not letting my woman leave me either. Never met a woman like you." He huffed, though there was a cocky smile on his lips.

"Thank you for the complement." Yuki hummed softly, giving him an embarrassed, toothy grin. And, then, she served them some tea. This was to be the start of a journey like no other, for the samurai. One where he would be in foreign lands and times. One where the love of his life was at his side. One where he would actually grow to his last days. And, one, that he hoped would lead to happiness and a family with his lover.


	3. Chapter One: Bedtime

"Minor explanation of bathrooms, new types of medicines and soaps, bedrooms, and more differences between 1582 and 2017. Figures. I understand bras and... underwear now. Men are more perverted in the 21st Century, than in the 16th. Plumbing is some 'new' tech I don't quite understand. That, and clocks- Maybe Yuki could explain it again. Also- what the hell is 'Memory Foam'...?" -Oda Nobunaga

Chapter 1- Bedtime

After about two hours into the evening, Sasuke had left. According to the 'blinking number thing,' as Nobunaga called the clock, it was 23:39 (11:29 PM). He wasn't completely sure what that meant. Time to him wasn't really a number. To him, it was whenever the sun set or rose, like; dawn, dusk, noon, etc. And, time, as it months or days, was when the cherry blossoms bloomed, when it started to grow cold and stormy. This- this was something he was not as completely certain with.

There were so many things that the Samurai was surprised by, even the small things held his attention. Both Sasuke and Yuki tried to explain what a clock was and how it worked. He thinks he understands. Maybe. He can understand AM and PM. It made more sense. He'd supposed, however, that he would slowly understand how it worked. Eventually.

"Nobunaga? You alright? You've been staring at the stove clock for a good two minutes." He was snapped from his thoughts by Yuki's soft voice. She was drying her hands from washing the dishes, as they had finished their tea and snacks when Sasuke left.

"I'm fine, Yuki." He said simply, finally removing his gaze from the ever odd stove clock. It blinked these odd shapes in this green light, it was alluring to him. This was an invention that he couldn't keep his gaze from. He wanted to figure it out, understand it, and hopefully, one day, understand how to read it. Such a curious creation, truly.

"Why don't we head upstairs. I could use a bath and some sleep. And, so could you." When she finished, she set down the towel and guided him out of the room. With a click, the lights were off in the room, leaving the light of the clock as the brightest thing there.

She had guided him into the hall, and right up the stairs. Though the darkness, she walked right up without an issue. He was surprised, however, by the time had watched her disappear into the darkness. It seemed she had turned on the light in that second floor hallway, that made all the difference, it was now bright, enough to see the various doors and rooms.

There were five rooms, two at the left, two at the right, and a single one at the end of the hall. It was called the 'master bedroom', apparently. It would be a goal, likely tomorrow, to completely explore the house. One that seemed smaller than his castle, but still equally endearing to explore.

"This is my room." She spoke up, once more, as she hadn't spoken since the kitchen. And, when she walked into the dark master bedroom, she disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with the light now in the room. "My parents had gotten this for me, the house, I mean. I think I've taken good care of ?" The way she smiled at him, with such a beaming look, made his heart pound.

"Indeed. Impressive of my little chatelaine." He teased, nodding his head as he looked around the room. Such odd items! What is that large wooden box covered in cloth and fluffy fabric? Odd. He was a little confused by all of this. And, he was sure he would ask about it all tomorrow.

"This will be where you'll be staying. If that's alright…?" Nobunaga chuckled at her weakly embarrassed tone, her cheeks tinging a soft red.

"That's fine with me."

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up when he agreed, it was such a happy feeling for her. He could tell.

"You seemed glad that I said it was fine." His teasing voice escaped his lips, a grin taking over his smile.

"Shush!" The blush told him that he was right on the matter. "Anyway- We'll be sleeping here. It's not the same as what you're used to…" She gesticulated towards the 'wood and fluff' he was eyeing earlier. "And, the bathroom is there." She made a movement of her left hand towards the bathroom.

"Oh?" He has not much of an idea what she meant by 'bathroom', he was sure it is far from what he understands is a bathroom. He knew of hot springs, or taking a 'bath' of colder water in a tub, rarely- As well as the addition of a place to defecate or urinate, if one must. But, he slightly feared the changes the 500 year difference would apply to it.

"For the most part," Yuki started, noticing the small cocking of his brow, "It has the same general style of what you're used to. The same- effect, for the most part… Well- I can show you instead." She ushered him forward with her hand, wishing him to follow her.

Nobunaga padded after her across the wooden floor, his eyes still curiously eyeing things in the room. It was such a curious difference from then and now. But- what he was curious about, too, was what she was trying to explain as the bathroom. The door on the far right wall lead to a separate room, one that was dark. Like every other room he had experienced. It seems there was another 'switch' of sorts, which she flipped that instant.

The walls of the other room were wooden. It did have things similar, but equally different. A large rectangular tub was off to the side, next to the wall. The floor was 'tiled'? It was smooth, yet well enough to had traction. One wouldn't slip if it was wet. A metal piece was at the wall, about 7 feet up. Yuki explained it as a shower, water comes down from it. There were small things on the ground called drains, made it so the whole bathroom didn't drown in water it seemed, he understood that notion.

A small light next to the shower glowed brightly, in a whitish glow, which made things easier to see, as well as one on the right side of the room, on a wall with- mirrors? He was told it was a more American creation, another word he didn't know. What the hell is 'American'? He frowned, but nodded anyway, listening to what she had to say. A wooden sliding door was at his left, maybe four feet away. He was told the toilet was there. She explained a simplistic version of plumbing, getting another gawking look but he just nodded. It was different, he understood. It was fancy, he'll say that.

"I'm sure it's different, to the point of discomfort. But, it will take time. I understand. So, we can focus on that more later." She gave him the softest smile, now stepping into the bathroom further. She had gone to the large rectangular tub, turning on the water to a steaming temperature, said wet air raising and floating up. "You brought your sleeping robe, yes?" Her voice called over the loud splashing of the water filling the tub.

"Mm." There was the softest of sounds from his throat, he watching her with curious eyes. He knew not of what she was doing, completely, but for some reason, there was a familiarity to it. He watched her stand to her feet, she drying her hands off from testing the temperature. "I did." His voice called back, he shifting his bare feet on the floor. It was then that he was finally feeling the weight of his armor.

"Alright, go get it, I'll grab my sleep wear." She said softly, now moving towards the door, stepping besides him. Her eyes glances towards the tub once more, nodding to herself before shooing him on once more. "Go grab it. We'll need it. And, get your armor off, too." He agreed with her with a nod, knowing they indeed needed to.

"I get it, I get it. You are ever hasty, woman." Nobunaga huffed teasingly, a grin at his lips as he followed after her. His hands moved towards his chest plate, untying the strings holding it to his body. He removed it, then the protective skirt and shoulder padding. Such an intricate set.

As he stripped off the main armor, his eyes followed her as she walked to the drawers at the left wall, opening them and pulling a few things out. Clothing that made some sense, what looked like a short, kimono (shirt) and a separated hakama skirt (pants). But, switching to another drawer, she grabbed items that made him curious. What are they? He walked over to her, having set the pieces of the armor on the bed.

"What are these?" He questioned, plucking up the small clothes from the pile in her hands. It looked similar enough in design to a loin-cloth. But, that was all his brain saw similar in it. It was lacy- Lace was a rare thing in Japan, the Dutch brought it over a lot. The black lace made him cock a brow as he played with it a little, eyeing it curiously. He was in an underlayer for his armor, similar to modern days leggings and a long sleeve.

"H-hey-!" Yuki was a little surprised to have the samurai lord grabbing her underwear. In 16th Century Japan, modern underwear didn't exist- Obviously. Men wore a loincloth style garb, and women didn't usually wear anything. There was the smallest grin now on the lord's face, seeing was she flustered trying to grab it from him. He enjoyed playing with her, but he succumbed with a grin, giving it back.

"Never told me what it is, Yuki." He hummed with a small, smug look. His feet shifted a little as he glanced down to her, loving the warm blush on her cheeks. He couldn't help himself from brushing his right index finger on her toasty skin.

"Underwear." She spoke quickly, flustered. It was a bit of an embarrassment to have him see them. Yes, she had sex with him before, and that was different-! Any man seeing her underwear, even a more or less oblivious one like him, is embarrassing. "It's-" She wasn't too sure how to explain it to him. There was much that was the same, in that time. "Clothes."

"And these?" He grabbed the similar piece from her arms, this one far different in shape but similar in materials. "Might might these be for?" In Japan, women do wear bras, but in a more traditional sense, say- wearing a kimono, yukata, hakama- one would not wear one. He wasn't stupid, that much was certain, he could put two and two together. It did seem the first was for the waist, and the second for her chest. Well, he assumed.

"It's a-" Yuki was standing on her tiptoes, trying to grab the clothes from him "It's called a bra- Now, give it back." The knowing look on his face made her frown. "It was invented about 120 years ago to replace a European invention. It's for women to keep their breasts- situated."

"Interesting- it's very-" Nobunaga pondered his words, thinking about what she explained. "Flashy." The soft chuckle emitting from his throat was sort, punctuated even. "No need to have it, you look better without it." However, he tossed them back to her. She still looked to him flustered, unable to deal with the silver tongue of The Devil's Hand.

"Pervert." She huffed back, though he grinned at her, enjoying her embarrassment. It was always a treat. "Either way, your armor-" He still had some of it on. "Do you want me to help with what's left?"

"Well, since you offered, my love, please." There was still a grin at his lips, her embarrassment and her care always brought a smile to his face. Such a naïve thing. He watched her set her clothes gingerly to the dresser top, and move her hands to his arm. She carefully removed the set of arm guards on his right arm, then his left, she setting them on the dresser as well.

"We'll need to find somewhere to keep this, we didn't bring your armor rack with us." Her voice mused as she worked towards helping him. She shifted to her knees before him, now removing the leftover padding on his legs. "I might be able to find a rack or a mannequin-" She muttered, standing back to her feet. "Well, to be honest- you owning a perfect, well-kept Sengoku Era Samurai Armor, especially the Great Oda Nobunaga, could be sold for millions, likely."

"We're NOT selling my armor." Nobunaga said firmly, watching her stand before him. His hands gingerly cup her cheeks, bringing her close to him. "I'd rather keep it. Or- at least, give it to you. We own it."

"I got it. I got it." Yuki muttered back with a chuckle. "You flirt." She made a soft huff, embarrassed with his smooth words. "Now, do hurry up." She set her hands to his at her cheeks, carefully removing them. "You need to get the last of your armor off." She made the smallest motion with her head, indicating the last layer of his clothing. Stepping away, she grabbed her own clothes and motioned for him to follow after her.

"I'm getting it off, woman. Hasty-" He muttered under his breath, pulling the shirt part of his underlayer off, and over his head. His rusty eyes watched her, he cocking his head to the side as he watched her with her clothes. She set her new clothes, including the 'underwear' and 'bra' to the counter, before taking off her clothes. They were odd- honestly. She had started unbuttoning the white button-up shirt, soon taking it from her shoulders.

"Oh- I get it." The samurai lord muttered, seeing as she now had the skirt and a bra on. It seemed she had one with her in the past, too, but she didn't wear it often- not that he can remember. It was usually just the kimono that she wore, not that he argued with that. He supposed, however, that, like she had, he would have to get used to this new time.

"Heh- Alright." She commented back with a sheepish look, removing her skirt seamlessly. It didn't seem are hard as the shirt. She tossed her clothes to a bin in the room, he cocking a brow at her actions. Do you put clothes you've worn there? "Go ahead and put what's left in the basket, alright. I'll be washing it later." She gave him a small smile, moving her hands behind her back and unclasping the bra, oh- He understands now.

"Of course." He huffed back, not understanding the heat at his face as he removed the last of his clothes- "What about this?" He was untying his loin-cloth. She, however, was already nude, putting the leftover under layers in the basket. Darn her- He bit back a blush at his cheeks, taking an inhale to soothe his nerves.

"Oh. Fair point- I can wash it for you in the morning?" She offered, and he nodded his head. She was a little flustered, but not as much as him- they've seen each other naked before, had sex- but something about this was different. He had, too, taken it off, his loin-cloth, tossing it into the basket. "Okay- we're going to wash off before we get in the tub, okay- We're both dirty. Now we can get clean."

"Fair point." He wouldn't deny that he was a gross person- meaning, he wasn't as 'sterile' and 'clean' as people are now. There are times when he can't take a bath- like on the battlefield. Times when he has blood caked onto his skin.

"Come." She had walked over to the tile besides the tub, turning on a faucet. "This is a shower, we had something partially similar in your time, but- This is far more efficient. Feel-" She put her hand under the water, he did too- It was hot. Impressive. The slight raising of his brows and widening of his eyes made her smile. "C'mon." She nudged him under the water, wanting him to get rinsed. She joined him, anything to get him to cooperate smoothly. The Lord of Hell sometimes puts up a fight. "First, we're going to rinse off, okay?" She leaned over, making sure to turn off the tub's water.

"Fine, fine." Though he sounded complacent, he was anything but. There was a gut feeling- actually, he was going to enjoy himself. She stood a little at her tiptoes, making sure to brush her fingers through his hair as the water rained down upon it. It was rare to have hot water in such a way. This is an invention on his favorites list.

His hair felt heavy, the more and more the water fell, it weighing it down and sticking it to his forehead. An odd feeling. What was nicer though, was to see Yuki- She seem to put care into helping him, but firm dedication. This is why he chose to stay with her, his little Fireball. She seemed to be muttering to herself as she eased herself back to her feet, the water, too, drenching her hair and body.

"I'm going to wash your hair." She said suddenly, making him mutter a, 'what?' in response. Before he really had a chance to question it, the water to the shower was off and she had moved a stool over with her foot. Or, what he assumed was a stool. It was around 20 centimeters tall, wood. "Sit." Once he did, she went to grab a few bottles from a shelf not two feet from them.

"What's that?"

"Shampoo." The first bottle she had, and when she set the others down, it was the one she held. He had no idea what it was, but when she said the name, he nodded his head. It sounded Chinese. "It was created in Europe, about 90 years ago. It's to help strip harmful oils from your hair, removed dirt and such, and strengthen it." Her explaining it surely helped him. "It's a type of soap, so to speak." Soap, that was a word he recognized.

"Ah. I understood some of that." He laughed lightly, feeling her tilt his head back a little as she sat behind him, it seems on another stool. She had more than one? Convenient. She laughed softly as well, rolling her eyes as she put some of the 'shampoo' on her hand.

"Be careful, you don't want this to get into your eyes. So, I'd recommend closing them-" She muttered to him, gingerly setting her fingers to his head. Something about the movement of her fingers coaxed a sound from his throat. The soft scraping of her nails across his scalp, the feeling of this odd soap. It was bubbly? Yes. It felt like bubbles.

"Kimochiina~" He muttered to her, causing her to giggle. "What?" He questioned, remembering not to open his eyes. "It feels good."

"Nothing. It's just cute." Yuki hummed in response, continuing her work on his hair. For another minute or two, she massaged his scalp, tending to his hair. They certainly didn't have shampoo, then- and not something that took care of their hair like this. It was left to the person and their own devices, old ideas basically. "Keep your eyes closed, I'm going rinse your hair." She stood to her feet, or, that was how it sounded- then, grabbing that round 'shower' piece that allowed the water in the first place, to rain down.

He was slightly startled, but calmed himself, as water hit his forehead and head, washing away the soap. Her fingers had continued their work, playing and separating the now clean hair to get the last of the soap from him hair. The water soon turned off, he watching her- having opened his eyes- set the nozzle to the wall.

"Now, what's that?" Nobunaga asked, seemingly like a child, curious by everything.

"Conditioner. It was created before Shampoo actually- In France. To make hair softer-" She explained, coaxing a nod from him. "You wouldn't want this in your eyes either- So, close them." She said commandly, but with a gentle smile. With a roll of his eyes, he did. Ah- back to that massage to his scalp, he loved it.

"I'm going to wash my hair. Let the conditioner rest in your hair for a few minutes, okay?" Yuki hummed, taking her hands from his hair and rinsing them.

"Sure." he said simply, opening his eyes and watching her as she washed her hair. She seemed far more smooth than he was, or would be, without opening her eyes she had cleaned it with shampoo, rinsed it, and put conditioner to her hair. It took three minutes or so, if he understood time properly, because her hair was far longer than his.

"Alright, while I let my hair sit, I'll rinse yours." She turned the water back on, bringing a refreshing warmth to his skin once more. It was such a nice feeling, the heat of the water soothed his muscles, it was such a nice feeling. Given a few minutes, they had both washed their hair, and she helped him clean up a bit with some soap. "Let's just relax now." She hummed.

"Let's." The big grin on his face was humorous, his ever flirtatious nature was evident. He stood from the stool, quickly sitting down in the tub of hot water. A groan left his lips, happy to finally relax in the soothing water. It helped his body, which seemingly was sore- his joints, his muscles- maybe from the journey, maybe from the war he fought before being here. "Come." He called, resting his back against the wall of the tub, he holding his arms open to her.

"Coming, coming." With a roll of her eyes, she joined him, stepping into the tub with him. She eased into his arms, the affectionate Samurai lord pressing a kiss to her head. From the beginning, he has been sexual and affectionate, what had started as a ploy for her body became them falling in love with one another. It was rather ironic, honestly- but, not that they minded.

She just snuggled into his arms, closing her eyes and resting her head against his collarbone. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closely to his body. The warmth of the water only soothed their fatigued muscles further, living in the Sengoku only seemed to add to their bodies' ache.

The minutes of calmly resting in the tub ticked by, and soon enough, it had been thirty minutes, the heat of the water slowly cooled. It was relaxing enough to just rest together in the water, in silence, in the company of one another.

"Let's get dried off. Yeah?" She hummed softly, finally feeling the urge to leave the water. He gave a hum of agreement, a small, tired sound in reply. She stood to her feet, careful to keep from slipping as she walked over to the cabinet along the wall, she opening and grabbing two towels. "Here."

"Thanks." This seemed a little more straight forward to him, or, at least, it did seem that way. He watched her, seeing the way she had tended to herself. He copied her actings, drying his body of as well, tending to his hair quickly.

"Get your sleep robe on as well." She told him, pulling on her undergarments. He, too, pulling on his clothing. As she got dressed in some western-style sleep clothes, pants and a button-up, he got dressed, then staring awkwardly with the towel in his hands. What to do with it, what to do with it? He watched her hang up a towel, then followed over to do the same. It seemed that just copying her with what he was unsure with was the best guess.

"Now what?" Nobunaga asked, raising a brow as she moved to the sink, grabbing something from a glass sitting on the counter. A- brush? It was colorful, and on the end was a bunch of… hair? Fur? Bristles?

"Oh. Give me a second." She said softly, moving over to the cabinet in the bathroom, where she had gotten the towels. She had grabbed what looked like something similar to the small, colorful brush but it was covered. Is it a box-? She opened it with little effort and handed the contents to him. "It's called a toothbrush, to help you keep your teeth clean." He nodded slowly, he not fully understanding what she meant. She put the contents in another bucket, was it- trash?

"O-okay-?"

"Here."

After she handed him the toothbrush, she grabbed the tube that had been with hers, carefully putting some of the contents on it. It was apparently called toothpaste, they had a way of caring for their teeth back then, yes- but, not like this. This was… odd. But, through struggle, they had figured it out- or, more of, she helped him FINALLY understand what he was doing. And, then, it was off to bed.

"Alright. I already know beds like this aren't common in Japan- but, this is called a mattress. This design of it, though we had other simplistic versions, was created about 230 years ago…? I believe." She must look like an encyclopedia, being able to spew facts like this. Even though it was odd, she was just glad to help Nobunaga, in any way, understand the differences.

"You're very smart, Yuki." Nobunaga said offhandedly, it was- random, honestly. He is a blunt, silver-tongued person, normally- so, a comment like this wasn't odd, just unexpected. "In 'Sengoku', it's not common to come across intelligent women- Just thought I'd mention." He shrugged, but the sly grin and the blush on his cheeks only made him more obvious. The flirt.

"And, you're as straightforward as ever, Nobunaga. C'mon." She moved her hand, calling him to her. "Sit." He nodded, sitting down on the bed, however not without his brows furrowing. "What? What's wrong?" She had asked, sitting right after he did.

"It's- squishy." He grumbled, setting his hand down on the mattress as well. It was such an odd feeling, his hand just pressed right into it, sinking into the material.

"It's called memory foam. It's really recent, actually. It's a type of material- that basically, contorts to your body shape, to remove the stiffness of some mattresses, I suppose- It was originally for the space program, use it in the rockets for the pilots- but, the Americans started using it because- I swear, they are the laziest." She rolled her eyes, making him cock a brow.

"I understood half of that."

"Oh- I'm sorry." She made the softest of chuckles, smiling at him. "I'll explain some of that later, words you wouldn't know based upon the time, those are new words-" She leaned over, resting her hand upon his head and ruffling his hair. "Let's just go to bed, yeah?" She offered and he nodded, they both situating themselves. "Goodnight, Nobunaga."

"Goodnight, Yuki."


	4. Chapter Two: The First Day

"The Christians continue to piss me off, and to hear from Yuki their influence has spread more than _my_ island and Europe… Oh my. Either way- this is a journey of new adventures and sights- In this confusing world, the light of my beloved is enough to guide me." -Oda Nobunaga

By the time morning had rolled around, not eight hours later, it turns out the once complaining Oda Nobunaga was out like a light. Something about the memory foam put him right to sleep. It was comfy- like sleeping on a cloud, or what he thought a cloud would feel like if he had slept on one. Comforting, squishy but supportive, and soft- Or, was that just because he was exhausted from being on his feet all day the day before?

He spent the entire day, before they left to the 21st Century, trying to evade Hideyoshi. His main retainer and vassal, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and as Yuki put it, in history, he would be the one to successfully enact Divine Rule and unify all of Japan. Bluntly, Hideyoshi was like a puppy, following him to and fro- there was no escaping Hideyoshi. He was constantly at his back, asking what he could do for the Lord, or if he was alright. 'Nobunaga, I have surveyed the land of Echigo- what do you need of me now?' 'Lord Nobunaga?' 'Lord Nobunaga!' Lord Nobunaga-' It was a constant cycle, not that he minded having a dutiful retainer. That was best. Someone who always listened, but-

When you're trying to fake your death so you can follow your lover who had come back in time around 500 years, to the future- a puppy-like retainer was the LAST thing you wanted. There was little privacy, and no room for error. But, Hideyoshi was one issue- He has thousands of other vassals- And, four other head vassals; Date Masamune, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Ishida Mitsunari- though it depended on the situation, they, too, had been very dependent on him. Constant chatter.

Hideyoshi was likely the worst out of them all; always hanging over him, just as close to him as his shadow. Ieyasu was likely the best- best working, best in this case as well. He kept his distance; the stoic tsundere, if anything, Ieyasu surely knew when he was supposed to be away. Mitsunari always listened, however, he would rather be with his books or in the armory, preparing, rather than sticking his nose into his lord's business. His nosiness was quaint; that was nice, in a lot of occasions. It seemed that if you give Mitsunari a book, he would likely starve before looking away from it.

Now- There was Mitsuhide; his left hand- if you were to call Hideyoshi his right. Now it might sound off, but he is the foil; the partner, the yin to Hideyoshi's yang. The two of them would give arm and leg for the sake of Nobunaga. He was the snarky, sly, mysterious foil to Hideyoshi's open, dedicated, kind and friendly appearance. The two of them were always at work, doing their best- Mitsuhide, unlike Hideyoshi, was the one who constantly worked outside the Oda Clan, sneaking his way to-and-fro.

However- there was also Masamune. The One-Eyed Dragon. A fierce warrior, never-ending flirt, brilliant tactician, Master of Falconry- and one hell of a puppy retainer. Not as much as Hideyoshi- Hideyoshi was practically Nobunaga's conjoined twin- Masamune, on the other hand, was just dedicated. He was brilliant, always followed command- he did what he was told, that was great- But, when he's staying in Azuchi, it's like having a falcon there instead, scoping out pretty much everything, if Hideyoshi wasn't already. With the four of them combined, Yuki had jokingly called it 'Mission Impossible'. He didn't get the reference completely, but 'mission impossible' was certainly fitting.

In the morning, Nobunaga had breakfast with the rest of the clan, trying to not startle anyone into thinking his plan was coming. It was supposed to be a suicide attempt, well- he wasn't actually going to die; iIt was faked. But, he still had to live it up enough- Yuki joined him, of course. That was interesting- and from there, the great chatelaine had many other things to attend to; including helping with the seamstress, aiding in lunch, cleaning with the rest of the maid staff and helping Mitsunari in the armory.

It was… actually a normal day. But, that was the point- Around midday, Nobunaga had called Yuki up to his room and the two of them ironed out the last of the kinks of his plan. It was- foolproof; almost- it was decent. At least, that is how Yuki saw it. It'd have to, at least, be intelligent enough to stump the Great Hideyoshi in his conquest-

It was a day for the both of them that included a lot of running around. Back-and-forth, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. The two of them prepared bags beforehand so that they wouldn't be as conspicuous with their plan, settling them within the stable along with the horse they planned to take. That had to be done in the early afternoon, before dinner; when the planned to leave, but also after Mitsunari and a few other vassals had gone through and checked on the horses. It was- such a hectic day.

They did have lunch and dinner with everyone else, making sure to act as if it was a normal day- but from then on, after dinner, their plan was in action. The letter, written in the most elegant lettering, was left out on his desk when they planned to leave- Hideyoshi, as he does every morning, should find it when he happens to stop by around 8 in the morning. They would be long gone, by then.

What would the letter have said? Something overly dramatic in the normal way of Nobunaga himself- 'I take blame for the acts of the Honnō-ji temple, as well as the suffering of the farmers of the east- For their sacrifice, I shall sacrifice myself-', or something like that. It wasn't something he remembered well. All he did know, as he could see it in his head, that Hideyoshi would freak out. Maybe just as bad with some of the attempts on his life before now.

With the letter and bags prepared, as well as their ride- it was off to the stables. They left separately, Nobunaga just vanishing- and Yuki making sure to seem inconspicuous as she talked with a few people before leaving to meet him at the stables- the rest, as they say, is history-

Now, morning- Nobunaga had a viable reason to sleep in, just trying to get used to the differences in the times was enough- according to the blinking number-thing, he did go to bed rather late, as did she. So- nothing to be of worry. Yuki, on the other hand, was coming to- waking up slowly as it only seemed natural.

"Nobunaga-" She called, looking at him as he laid out, nearly sprawled, comfortably on the mattress. It was a rare sight in and of itself; not a common thing to see of him. Normally, he was so collected. Or, when they slept together, he was usually awake before she could see him in such a vulnerable state. He was laying on his stomach, his face pressed awkwardly to the pillow as his arms laid at his side. He was out cold; such a humorous sight. "Nobu-" She called with a grin, poking his cheek with the tip of her finger.

It seemed the great samurai lord was still sound asleep- adorable and inconvenient, but still adorable- Such a powerful man in such a defenseless state; the gods were answering her prayers-

Seeing that Nobunaga must be in his own world, Yuki got out of bed, surely used to the comfort of the bed and the need to get up at reasonable hours. As she got out of the bed, she stretched her arms above her head, stifling a yawn from her lips. "I'm taking a shower." She announced, to no one in particular, knowing her lover was unconscious. She sauntered into the bedroom, immediately starting the shower to allow it to warm up.

Yuki had, after starting the shower, stepped out of the bathroom, going over to the drawers she had against the left wall, opening them and pulling out a pair of pants; jeans. She settled them down to the top of the dresser before stepping towards the closet on the far wall, pulling out a button up shirt. "Perfect…" She muttered to herself, glancing at the bed. "How does he sleep like that?" She asked herself under her breath, suppressing the softest of giggles.

It was humorous; he was out cold, basically- Sleeping comfortably on his stomach. Honestly, she found that uncomfortable- but, in comparison to the 16th century futons he was accustomed to, her bed must be like 'heaven'.

The time passed quickly… She had taken a shower, dried off and brushed her hair, gotten dressed, made herself slightly presentable- so-on and so-forth. It was approximately thirty minutes later before she stepped out to find that he was- still passed out on the bed.

"How in the…?" She muttered, confused- how could he sleep this much? She did remember him saying, before meeting her, that sleep was hard to come by. Maybe he really needed sleep- It seemed, though history painted him as some heartless, ruthless dictator, that he was actually shaken by the choices he made. His violence was always seen in a negative light, whereas he did it for the people- If it was to attack the radical Buddhist's of the Hongan-ji and burn down their temple of Honnō-ji, leaving Abbot Kennyo without his fortress, then he would. He did that for his people. Abbot Kennyo was actually someone who was against his plan of the people, for the people- trying to foil his plans and keep the country in shambles.

So- it seemed sleep was truly hard to come by. She did remember one of the first nights they shared a bed together, he said he slept. She didn't get it at first, but she was glad she was helping his condition, if anything. Maybe- he could rest a little longer-

Stretching her arms above her head, she excused herself downstairs, making sure to take the laundry with her. In her left arm, she carried the laundry basket, stepping out of the room and across the hall and downstairs. She decided that if he risked sleeping through breakfast, she would wake him; he was never one to skip a meal though, unless it was for the sake of the people- She noted, like Hideyoshi or Masamune, he was the type of person to starve himself, if his people were starving, too.

First, she had taken the laundry to one of the rooms on the right of the first floor's hallway, inside was a sliding glass door, well- two, leading to a small porch. Outside was a set of clotheslines, for the clothes that needed to be dried natural, versus by machine. Settling the basket to the ground, she went to the washing machine on the right wall of the room, opening it and starting up some of the settings. It was a needed, and sometimes meticulous, process.

After starting it up, she settled the clothes into the washing machine, then turned on the water. Nobunaga's five-hundred year-old clothes were going to be washed by hand. She still believed in tradition over other things. After taking out his clothes and settling them back into the basket, she started the wash. She opened up the sliding glass door and walked outside. There, on the porch, was a wash bucket and clothing soaps; the necessities for washing his underclothes.

She had no issue in doing it; it was just meticulous. Either way, it was just the loin-cloth and his underlayer for his armor. A long sleeve shirt and a pair of pants, so-to-speak- they weren't something that required much work. After about ten minutes, she had finished washing them, hanging them up on the clothesline to dry.

Now, time to start breakfast- she would take care of the laundry; the ones being washed, when it was done. Then, she would add it to Nobunaga's outside.

Upon walking into the kitchen, she went straight for the rice cooker in one of the lower cabinets, pulling it out and plugging it in. She grabbed the bag of rice from the pantry, also grabbing tsukemono (Japanese pickles), nori (dried seaweed), and natto (fermented soybeans). Yuki was quick to set up the rice cooker so it'd be done around the time of the wash.

"What should we eat…?" She hummed to herself, opening the fridge and looking inside. There were different types of fish and lean meats, as common in Japanese culture. "Let's go with salmon…" She muttered, pulling out a decent piece; still in its sealed packaging. She settled the package to the counter, then grabbed the tea set from the same lower cabinet as the rice cooker.

It wouldn't be genuinely hard to prepare breakfast; it would just have to be a heartier serving than she would make herself, as she now had a samurai lord eating with her. It was- oddly, such an amusing thought to have him with her. Yes, she technically lived with him before in Azuchi, had meals with him before and after they were together -either to themselves or with the rest of the vassals and retainers in the Great Hall-, so it wasn't the physical idea of them eating together, she supposed, but actually the fact she was preparing for someone of his stature.

She filled the teapot with water, settling it besides the skillet for the salmon on the stove, now focusing on the fish itself. She took a knife, cutting the packing, then carefully cutting the meat, allowing it to be set to the skillet and rest. It wasn't a hard task, no- just -as seemed a lot of things- monotonous. Not that there was anything wrong with monotony. It was actually quite nice, sometimes. Monotony allowed the brain to ease, not having to worry about the stresses of added stimuli-

Now left with the food cooking itself -almost- she sat wondering. Should she make something else? She could make miso soup- it was commonly a breakfast food, but did she want to? It was not a matter of laziness, but too many things to juggle. However, she just shrugged and moved onto making it anyway. Miso soup didn't always require a tedious amount of time. She grabbed another pan and settled it onto the stove- she was thankful that she had a stove with four burners, truly.

Still having extra nori, she diced it, placing it in the water- Now, to the actual 'miso' part of the miso soup. In all honesty, she didn't think she was the greatest chef; she could follow instructions, sure, and get used to a recipe- to then, follow it mindlessly, without having to read. But- could she truly cook and bake upon instinct? The answer was a humble and honest 'no'.

Miso soup requires an… odd preparation. So, miso paste, you take that- about a tablespoon of it, and mix it with boiling water (or hot water) and then, when the water boiling is done, you mix it in- It might sound odd, but the sodium content in miso requires it- It's not a task that takes any more than- five minutes. After dicing up some tofu, small, then adding it to the soup as it cooks on the stove, miso included, it was time to let it do it's thing for a few minutes.

By the time the miso soup was done, so was the rice, the tea and the salmon. All of which was taken care of. The teapot was taken from the stove and set to a tray. The salmon was moved to another plate to cut, then serve- and the rice, still in the cooker, was ready for serving. And- Nobunaga _still_ wasn't down yet-

It only took about three minutes to set everything on the table. The rice was brought over still in the covered cooker, to preserve the steam and heat. The miso soup was served in small bowls, put at the table as well. The salmon was plated and served, as well as freshly prepared tea. Everything was ready. Now- to deal with the laundry that should be done.

Stepping out the kitchen, she took the laundry from the wash, once in the washroom, now settling it back into the basket and carrying it to the porch outside. The next few minutes were taken over by the hanging of laundry. By the time she had finished, it was nine in the morning. Now, to venture upstairs and wake him up.

"Nobunaga?" Yuki called, walking into her, well 'their'- bedroom. He seemed to have rolled over a bit, now laying in a semi-less-uncomfortable position. Halfly on his side, and halfly with his face pressed against the pillow. He did seem to stir when she called for him. "Nobunaga- It's nine in the morning- Breakfast is ready- It's time to get up." They were all sort-of disjointed statements. Just, everything she needed to tell him at this moment in time.

"It's when…?" His tired voice came out strained, partially annoyed from being stirred. And, maybe, even partially annoyed for having slept in.

"Nine in the morning."

"Nine…" Was all he said in return, shifting under the blankets. Nine was certainly an uncommon hour for him to sleep to- especially because he was the type of person so sleep until ONLY the crack of dawn, if he did get any sleep at all- it was rare for him. That much was certain. The crack of dawn was almost three hours before then. His dark, amber eyes slowly opened, staring at the bed beside his face. It seemed just opening his eyes made him realize what time it was.

The room was bathed in morning glow from a comforting, soft white from the sun behind the privacy blockers against the glass. Everything was a warm, white glow- even the sheets and the wood of the furniture.

"I don't think I've slept in this much before…." Nobunaga muttered, rather astonished and sitting up to brush his hand over his hair- which was slightly fluffy with bedhead. The samurai was still quite in his vulnerable state, feeling slightly dazed for having woken up so late. "How long have you been up?"

"An hour or so- enough to take a shower, get dressed, do the laundry, hang up the laundry, prepare and plate breakfast, then come back up here to get you- so… yeah, an hour."

"Oh." His eyes revealed a little surprised, leading him to get out of the bed, stretch his arms over his head with a soft groan and popping his joints. "Huh- I still can't believe I slept in."

"It's because you _finally_ got a decent amount of sleep. Or, just decent sleep. Sleeping up in the Tenshu, or only sleeping for two hours at a time is what makes you feel this way-" Yuki shifted her feet, gingerly crossing her arms. It was almost like she was gently scolding him for his past choices. It was true- he constantly went on little sleep. She remembered when she was far younger, she used to sleep very little like in her mid-teenage years -14-17- because she thought it made her cool- but once she realized, all it did was work against her, and she had then regulated her sleeping since.

"How about you come downstairs and we eat breakfast- The wash and your clothes should finish drying by then, so you can wear the,." Nobunaga nodded at her words, deciding some breakfast might be best. "Maybe- wash your hands and face first. Yeah?"

"Y-Yeah-" His words were broken up by a yawn, the usually defensive, empowering Nobunaga rested in a rather vulnerable state. Her mind was stuck to it; it was so different- maybe, it was just the fact he didn't have to worry about leading the Oda anymore- or focusing on fighting Kennyo, Kenshin, and Shingen- or trying to help Azuchi castle-town. Or, any other of many innumerable things. It might just have been the fact that he finally got to 'relax' with his lover, and maybe just start a family of his own, like 'normal' people.

"I'm going to be in the kitchen. When you're done, just meet me down there."

"Alright-" With another yawn, Nobunaga sauntered off to the bathroom and Yuki headed downstairs.

After having rinsed his hands, then splashing and drying his face, Nobunaga headed downstairs from the master bedroom, looking at every aspect of the room around him. It was odd to him, having so many rooms for so little people. In Azuchi, it made sense to have all those rooms, as he had hundreds of people in his castle, not including all the other side rooms and buildings with it; those were for the soldiers. In the castle, however, were all his retainers and vassals, the maid staff, the pages- etc. But to have… what? Ten, almost fifteen rooms to one 'girl'- it did seem a bit much.

"Good morning, Nobunaga- Welcome to the real world." Yuki teased with a big grin on her face, she seemed to be scooping rice from a white, almost metallic, bowl and into smaller serving bowls; those more familiar, white and ceramic.

"Yes, yes- I slept in. It is very humorous." He huffed back, but with a smile, waving his hand as if her comment bothered him none; why should it?

"It's just adorable, is all-"

"You are the only person to call me 'adorable'. If I didn't love you, I'd call you 'crazy'."

"Well, at least you love me."

"Heh. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. You are the most intriguing woman I've ever met." There was his usual grin on his lips, he shifting feet before the table as she finished serving the food. While she was fully dressed in modern-wear, he was in his sleeping robe; basically the white underlayer in most kimono.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He has told her that before, with the same haughty grin. But, every time he told her, it was only more proof of his love. A ruthless tyrant such as he, as history would say, would never be so 'adorable' or loving as their relationship clearly seemed to be. Or, at least, that was her assumption when she first met him. Hearing of history's many tales of caution only made her feel more worried, however- once she got to know him, she was surprised how sensitive he is.

"You made this?" He asked. It was something he actually did not know about her. He knew that she was naive, yes- his rambunctious, sometimes surprising 'firecracker' self, yes- Could design and sew clothes, yes- Is intelligent, yes- Could cook, no-

"Yes- I'm no Gordon Ramsay- but, I'm practiced."

"Who?" Okay- he was lost. _Go- Go- Goru…? Go...ru...do...n…? What?_

"Oh-" Yuki paused, only to sigh, realizing she made a reference to someone of her time, someone he wouldn't understand. "He's one of the world's greatest chefs, as of currently. It was a minor joke, I suppose." She laughed sheepishly, making him nod.

"Well, I would agree- If my Firecracker was not only a good luck charm, knowledgeable, a practiced seamstress, and a great cook, I'd be worried." Walking towards the table, he made a slight chuckle. "Being better than me- I'd be worried." It was nothing that he should be better than her, or the fact that she couldn't be better- but more of an unspoken ego he seemed to have, _that_ had become the slight joke.

"You have nothing to worry about." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Alright- let's just eat already, yeah?" He nodded, joining her at the table. "Around… 150 years ago, America- a newer country that we will need to spend a LONG time talking about, and a few other countries… had come and opened up Japan.

"When you had 'died', Mitsuhide was blamed and then killed by Hideyoshi- who took over. When Hideyoshi had his next in line to lead, Mitsunari step up- It was actually Ieyasu who did. With that, Ieyasu closed off all foreign trade, except with the Dutch- and… it ended up backfiring… America, and other European countries, forced us open, and the.. 'gaijin' started a sort of… Well, it's hard to explain. But, my point without wasting our time to eat with a history lesson for later, is that this table was an invention from Europe, since I know you didn't have them, that is similar to chabudai or… eating on a tatami mat…"

"Ah-" Nobunaga listened intently, awkwardly taking a seat at the chair. It had a familiar… ish… design, but was just uncomfortable to see at first. "Yes- please do explain America to me- you said it last night as well, and I am not familiar." He huffed, though thankful that she was at least knowledgeable. Though most women of his time were not, it was refreshing to have a more intelligent woman. It gave him someone to talk to, and someone to love. It was- a multifaceted relationship. Hearing of the continuation of after his death, it made some sense. "Well- Ieyasu does prefer to be alone. If I had my way, I'd kick out the Spanish and Portuguese too. Trying to spread their backwards religion. One god- How asinine."

What made it all better was the fact that Yuki burst out laughing at the samurai lord's words, making him cock a brow with a grin at his lips. "That funny?"

"Y-yes-" She cleared her throat a little, trying to calm down from her laugh. Giggles did, however, chop up her words. "I think it was just the fact you hate Christianity so much that _tha_ t was funny- I hate to tell you it's the biggest religion in the world."

"As long as it's not in _this_ house, I'm fine." He raised a brow, curious. He didn't get it- _why have one god?_ One, singular, all powerful god- that was just a Dictator- and, he makes you go through life, as a punishment, as a test? How sadistic-

"I'm a buddhist-" He only gave her the slightest look. "A modern buddhist- not Kennyo's backwards buddhism- It's basically still shintoism."

"Good." He nodded his head with a huff, and grabbed his chopsticks. "Thanks for the food." And, now, cue digging in. One bite turned to two- turned to four, turned to ten. "'Not that bad'- You are too humble, Yuki- You should be more proud of yourself."

"And _you_ should learn to be more humble." Yuki said back, prompting another soft glare from the samurai seated next to her at the table. "Okay- Thank you, though."

"Better."

The two spent the rest of the morning, while eating breakfast, bantering in such a manner. It was, for the most part, lighthearted. Nothing more than calm, happy bantering. He normally had the soft bite to his speech anyhow. When breakfast was finished, Yuki started washing the dishes, but Nobunaga insisted on helping.

After three good minutes of him insisting, and of her saying that his class should prevent such- then him saying his class and status shouldn't matter anymore… leading to her reply of the fact that it was just the idea of him helping that should be her job, as he now lived with her- her hospitality… he bit back with the claim that they now lived together, so it should, intern, be a group thing, which finally led to her succumbing and allowing him to help her. It was… something she wasn't as used to. Compelling, but surprising.

What time was it, now…? Nearly ten in the morning. As Nobunaga finished drying the dishes, as she had told him to do, still holding the rag in hand, he watched Yuki pass by the entrance to the kitchen, before she disappeared. _Huh?_ He walked over to the doorway, standing over the threshold as she walked out of a door, not three feet away, with a basket in hand.

"Oh? Are you done?" She asked, "The laundry's all done, I was going to carry it upstairs, c'mon." Oh. So _that_ was what she was doing. He did remember her talking about the clothes last night… and in a small comment this morning, but finally seeing it made it easier. With a simple nod, they walked upstairs together, leaving the lord to look around the house once more in curiosity. He really did need to look around far more, a more in depth tour. "These are yours."

"Thank you." She handed him his loincloth and his armor underclothes. With a shift of his obi, and little to no care, he stripped off his white, sleeping robe -or the underlayer to his kimono- and settled the loincloth to his waist.

"I've been trying to decide whether or not to take you to the store today- get you some clothes. Not that people don't wear full, formal kimono and yukata anymore, it's just not common-" Yuki huffed, pondering what to do as she took the clothes out of the basket and folded them. "I just don't want to overwhelm you. It'll be like trying to babysit my little cousins all over again- Took them shopping once. Had to watch them like a hawk."

"Ah." It was a simile he understood, being an avid falconer. Speaking of which… he left poor, Haguro in the past. Haguro is his falcon, and now he is in the past. "Do I _need_ to go to the store?"

"I would recommend so, yes- You need more than one outfit, and a kimono at that. And- you need to be more accustomed to the future here- so, taking you out might be best for you. I do need you to get acquainted with this time." He made a hum of understanding from behind her, slipping his white sleeping robe back on, then going to his bag and grabbing his kimono. He had put his bag beside her bed the night before.

"Couldn't you just 'design' and make me something?"

"Oh, how simple-minded-" She teased, turning to look at him as he pouted, tying the obi around his waist. "I can't just 'design and make you something'. It takes time. Either way, you can't just be wearing your kimono everyday. You need to have other clothes. I certainly can fit it in the drawers- Yeah- I think I should take you after lunch. Maybe I can get Sasuke to come, too? I'll call him."

"'Call'?"

Yuki only replied with a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she focused back to folding her clothes. She had her cell phone with her when she had gone to the past. It sadly ended up dying after a week there- and it was left to its lonesome. She had shown Nobunaga her purse and it's contents to prove her story of being from the 21st Century. He believed it- being handed a cell phone, neat and shiny paper, a clean and tidy stuffed animal- However, those items were not used, just shown- How he might react left Yuki besides herself.

Nobunaga stood there, fixing his obi and watching his lover as she tended to her laundry. Now, he believed, he understands. Unlike the Sengoku- when cleaning clothes wasn't as common or efficient- you sometimes wore kimono or yukata numerous times before washing it. And, you didn't have as many articles of clothing. He certainly had many- but not as much as she.

"Alright- I left my phone charging in the kitchen- So- why don't we head down there and I'll give him a call, yes?"

"Sure..?"

She had finished folding the clothes, she now standing to her feet with the basket in hand. After a quick moment of thought, she shifted the basket in her hands and walked over to the bathroom, settling it in it's first place, before corralling Nobunaga with her downstairs.

At breakfast, he didn't notice it- but he did now- the thin black line stuck to the wall sat attached to what she told him was a cell phone. How- _odd_. She walked to it, pressed a few times at the glass screen and then pressed the item to her ear, that was- after removing the black line to it. It seems that before Sasuke left, she had put his number in. Those were her words, not his. He was just thinking about what she had claimed it was called.

"Hey, Sasuke- It's Yuki." Her voice suddenly spoke. "Mmhmm- A 'good morning' to you, too." She made the softest of chuckles, nodding her head. "Mm… Mm… yes- I would agree-" Nobunaga raised a brow, confused. What in the world were they talking about? All he heard from her were sounds of agreement and chopped comments.

"Okay- I was curious- the real reason I called- So, I was thinking, it might be best to take Nobunaga to the store today, maybe not a mall or department store- but something smaller, to get him some clothes. All he has is his kimono and armor- and, that won't work as well for him now… Yes… So, you're okay with it? Good- Let's go, say- around 1…? I can meet you at my house-? Yes- a train might not be best- Alright- See you then. Mmhmm- bye."

Nobunaga only stared confused as she pulled the 'cell phone' from her ear with a smile, pressing the screen a few times again. What confused him more was that her smile dropped, and she stared at the screen with a frown for a second, before shaking her head, pressing a button on the top of the device, and sticking it into what would be a pocket…? on the side of her pants.

"Is there something… wrong?" He had no idea what was wrong, if anything was. All he knew was she made a weird face for a second before putting her 'phone' away.

"Oh. It's nothing." She turned to him, giving him a sweet smile. "I just had a thought- nothing important. Anyway- we have about three hours before Sasuke gets here. And we just finished breakfast, so it's far too early to have or make lunch- So, did you want to do anything today before we go?" She had completely put her attention to him with a gentle look.

"Ah-" Well, at least it wasn't something bad- As she turned her focus to him, offering him to pick what they did until it was time to go, a heat took to his cheeks, making him turn away with a huff. God, he loves her- Just the soft giggles from his reaction, made his heart thump. "Why don't you show me around-" He was quick to clear his throat, looking back to her with a small pout. "Last night you couldn't really do that, so-"

"Sure, I can show you around." Her smile was only brighter, her right hand covering her mouth a little as giggles joined her words. How was she _so precious?_ He didn't understand that- Someone who could be so smart- So talented. So brave- brave enough to stand on a battlefield and rescue him from a team of archers- someone who was once so terrified. Ah- He couldn't help it. "C'mon."

With a nod, the samurai lord followed right after her. She led him into the familiar hallway of the first floor, pointing to the front door. "That's obviously the door. We came in through there." He gave her a look that basically said 'no shit', and she chuckled. "You did ask for a tour-"

"That I did-" He made a small reply back, nodding his head with a slight smile. He's rubbing off on her-

"Anyway- this hallway leads to a few rooms you're familiar with- Like, the living-room, or the parlor." She pointed to the exact opposite side of the hallway, right at the doorway to a definitely familiar room. They were in there last night with Sasuke, talking and having tea. "Alright, that's the basics- Come." She took his hand, leading him to the center of the hallway, not five steps from where they were. "So, you know this is the kitchen- The door right there is a closet, right under the stairs?" He nodded, looking to the left of the front door at a simple room.

"Is the 'closet' also something more 'American', as you called it?"

"Yes- I'm glad you remembered that." She smiled at him. "It's a bit European, too- I suppose. I'm not an expert on closets- but it is a more European thing. I think it might be French or British- When you come in, you put coats there. Or, you put them there to take when you leave, too. Or, even for extra storage." She shrugged, and even then, he was still in awe. He didn't care if she was 'not an expert' on anything she talked about, the fact she could explain it to him was enough to catch his attention.

"Interesting- The French are such weird people."

"And, you're weird, too."

"Ora- Got a mouth on you, huh?" Nobunaga cocked a brow with a slight grin, finding her need to make, even if it is the smallest, sly comments humorous.

"Well- I learned from you." She hummed with a smile, coaxing a hearty laugh from his throat.

"That is true- Either way, do continue-"

"Of course-" A small laugh made her words a little more choppy. "Anyway- There-" She pointed to the same door he saw her leave from only a few minutes before. "That's the laundry room. Let me show you." She took his hand, leading him forward. The door was only a meter or so from the place they originally stood. She led him right into the room; it wasn't too small- Similar as to what he was told was the stove in the kitchen, there was a metal box- or something, with buttons on it.

"Seems… Quaint…" He muttered, slightly confused. "Except for that-" The metal box was his main concern- but he was sure she would explain.

"Ah- It is a little old fashioned, except for the washing machine. I prefer to keep to older traditions, and hand wash my clothes. I did with yours. When I have too much to take care of, I'll wash it in the washing machine, but for the most part- I like to hand wash it." She stepped towards what was called the 'washing machine', urging him forward with the smallest tilt of her head. "It's rather straightforward, you put your dirty clothes in, add laundry detergent- it's a type of soap, press a few buttons, and after waiting a bit, clean clothes. To put it simply."

"A 'machine' that cleans clothes for you- let me guess, you know when they were created?" He was curious, did she?

"Ah-" She was sheepish. "I do- About 1910, give or take- By the American's, actually."

"Those lazy idiots." He huffed, only muttering what he remembered how she called them.

"Indeed-" She stifled a small laugh, shifting her feet to show him the glass doors at their left. When they entered, he saw them- but figured she would explain sooner or later. While the 'washing machine' was at the right wall, in the corner, the doors were positioned in front of them. "I have a patio out there; I like to dry the clothes here-"

"Huh-" Nobunaga watched as she stepped to the doors, the one at the right having a white handle -or what he assumed was a handle- at it's right side. She pressed against a small lever on it, emitting a sort of clacking sound, before she opened in the door. Outside was a patio; not too big- but it reminded him of his balcony on the Tenshu. Now, that was stories above the ground, not a foot.

"This certainly is the most 'quaint' part about it, as you said." With a soft hum, she stepped out onto the wooden porch, he looking down to her bare feet on the sanded -and seemingly painted- wood. However, his attention turned back to her face as she smiled, some of the morning sun illuminating her face. In moonlight and in sunlight, she was stunning-

"Certainly-" He was still in wonder with her face, it was such a curious thing- having her constantly take his breath away. He cursed his simple heart, just thankful he was given someone like her. "So- you hang the clothes up on the lines. Like we do." Referencing those of the Sengoku time, he remembered seeing his mother doing the same when he was younger, as well as the maid staff.

"Yes, I do." When she smiled, his heart thumped. A Goddess among men-

"Ah-"

"Why don't we keep going; there is far more to show you." He nodded at her words, letting her lead him back inside, closing the sliding doors to the porch, and venturing back into the hallway. They were now walking towards the stairs. "Right here is a bathroom- it's a smaller one compared to the master bedroom one upstairs." She flicked on the light for him to see. There was a toilet, a sink and a shower, this time a lonesome shower and not with a tub, like in the other bathroom.

"I see- Is it for… _Guests?_ "

"Yes." She smiled and nodded. "Another more European idea; to have more than one bathroom, one for guests as well- It does help."

"Europeans always seem to like having… Things. When we had Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch traders coming, I felt like they would try to sell us things that I would never need- It _is_ rather weird. Like pants-" He stopped, looking to Yuki- then pausing, realizing once more that she was wearing pants. She only smiled, her cheeks stiffening a little, like she was going to laugh.

"I get it. I think western culture is weird, too- But, I think of this house as a plus side. It is designed western. And, because of that, there is a lot of space in the house. When I was living by myself, it was weird. But- I think, it works, having this much space- because, you might live alone, but you might want to have a family. It works for that." She smiled and shrugged, looking towards him, then her focus shifted elsewhere. "Let's keep going."

"Alright-" Nobunaga felt his heart pound in his chest- Maybe it was just the fact that he was finally away from his duties as a daimyo, ruler of not only Azuchi, but also Owari, Nagoya, and many other neighboring cities. Maybe it was the prospect that there wasn't wars to fight, or famines to solve, or people to rule and protect… It was just _living_ with Yuki and having a 'normal' life, whatever that may be. And- even the idea of spending his life with her- the prospect of a family- All of that made his heart wild.

"You've seen everything of the first floor- let's go upstairs." She walked out of the small bathroom ahead of him, and right on up the stairs. Now, as he walked, it gave him a chance to look around. As he walked up the stairs, something caught his eye. Along the walls and up the staircase were these… pictures? Wooden frames, it seems, with glass in front. Almost like the shelves by the door. He stopped following her, staring at an image in one of the frames.

It was a picture of Yuki, that was certain. But- she did not look as she did now- She was… younger. Her long hair was pulled up into a bun, and she was wearing a vibrant hakama. A vibrant rosy pink hakama skirt was paired with a floral purple kimono, it was gorgeous. He couldn't help but smile. What was this picture for? It was so nice- was this common, to have pictures like this? He knew paintings- but this was not a painting. In the back of the picture, he recognized the writing, the kanji was of the school's graduation, it seemed; how nice.

It was a rare treat to stumble upon something like that. He wondered how long ago it was that she had 'graduated' school. She _certainly_ wasn't young. But, she wasn't as old as himself, that was sure. With a nod, he walked up the stairs further, only to be met with another picture.

In this one, Yuki seemed just slightly older. Maybe… A sign was in the back, and she was with a few other girls and 'boys'. The sign was a little confusing, but he understood- 'Coming of age'. That was something that was still common? So- it seemed she and her friends were about 20 here? All of them, there was ten, were in was seemed like… It was similar to the outfit Yuki was wearing yesterday… They were suits. The males all wore suits, the women were in outfits similar to hers last night, just with the same jacket as the males. She looked to be having fun.

It was interesting- How life now and then could be so similar and yet so different, all at the same time. They had similar traditions, with different spins; it was odd. But, still nice at the same time that she had these very pictures. He got to see her life, even if in moments, and also see how she's changed.

Not half a meter up the stairs was another picture, it seemed to be another graduation picture. This one was certainly recent; just from the look of her face. She looked so happy. He could certainly read the kanji in the picture, but he didn't understand what is meant or what was with the outfit- Something on her head. She was wearing a robe, that was for sure, but not a Japanese style one- Huh… D-Daigaku… Big… School? So, is it like an upper level of education or something? He was a little curious.

Like the other picture of her graduation, which… from the picture, Koukou-? That must be a lower level of schooling. He _had_ 'school', but it was definitely different than what she must have gone through. From a young age, he learned politics, diplomacy, war tactics, fighting, and other types of- Sengoku fitting aspects. She certainly didn't learn that- Ah… He noticed he digressed in thought… Looking at the other picture, and then back to the newest looking one, there was another person that was familiar; two of them, actually- They were both older than Yuki, obviously. A man and a woman; they must be her parents.

Just the idea of her parents made his stomach tighten; a sickly feeling in his stomach. Now- he wondered if there were similar aspects to romance now, as there were then. Less-so in royal or clan heads, but in common sakes; how the male went to the woman's parents and asked for permission to marry their daughter, talk with them- there was sometimes just a father and son-in-law outing sort of thing. Was that still common? He'd find out, should he meet them.

"Nobu-" Yuki called, realizing he wasn't behind her. She walked over to the steps, seeing him about two meters from the top, looking at the pictures on the wall. "Oh-"

"Huh?" Nobunaga shook from his thoughts, looking up and seeing his lover looking down at him from the top of the steps. "Sorry- I was looking at your… Paintings."

"Photographs." She shook her head, telling him it was fine. A small chuckle left her, she walking down to him. "I'll explain it more later, but- about two or three centuries after you, cameras were invented- it allows us to take a picture of something, and keep it forever- I can show you my camera, if you'd like."

"Photographs…" He nodded slowly, taking in what she said, turning his attention back to the 'photographs'. "I assume this is you, yes?"

"Yes. Of course." She smiled at him. It was adorable, sometimes, having him be almost innocent, in the aspect of the differences. "That was last year- I graduated from Kyoto University. It was hectic, since I was working at the same time I was going to school and working on sewing." She huffed softly, running her hand through her hair. "But, I ended up doing it."

"Kyoto… University…?" Nobunaga didn't completely understand. _Was that good?_ He assumed it was good. "That's… that's good?"

" _I'd say._ It's not an easy college to get into. Only a few thousand graduate every year. _I_ thankfully did." She smiled at him, "Got a degree in Fashion Design and Business. That's my major- My minor is ironically Japanese history; it works well with fashion, oddly."

"You… what?" He could comprehend that, he was sure. So- it was already rare, but… she had been one of those people. That's… amazing. Why is she so amazing…?

"Ah- Major is, like, in a degree; what you focus on. I do fashion, you know that. And, business goes hand-in-hand, another European and American thing. But- it works in my favor. I mean, I want to sew clothes- it allows me to actually have a business of my own…" She paused, looking to him, then the picture. "A minor is something else you favor, but not as much. History works with fashion, because it allows me to study the change and fashion of people before me."

Nobunaga just stared at her, wordlessly. She explained it in a way he understood, yes- But… Wait… She… huh… She's a business owner? Or, she can be? And, she had a 'degree' in fashion. And, she studied history- what else has she done? This- Maybe it is the difference in time…

"Is something wrong?" She frowned, looking to him. In a familiar action, she pushed up his bangs, settling her hand to his forehead, shaking her head. "You're not sick-"

"You're- You did all that- And, you talk like it's nothing."

"Oh? College? A lot of people go to college and get degrees- Sasuke went to college and got a degree in astrophysics- It's a branch of physical science. I mean- it's not that uncommon." She made a sheepish chuckle, and he frowned. "You can still think it's amazing, though!" She said quickly, noticing his frown. "If it makes you feel better-"

"Foolish girl." He huffed, leaning forwards and pressing his lips to hers. It was a soft, short kiss- just something to show his affection. It was the only way for him to even voice his feelings, where his words cannot. He is so confused on the differences here, but he liked it, at the same time.

"Oh-" Yuki, having pulled away, only looked up at him flustered.

"I don't completely understand this all- but, I do understand that you're special to me, Yuki. You're different. But- not in a bad way. You're intelligent and caring, yet naive- You're sweet and gentle, yet firm in your beliefs- You amaze me, everyday."

"Nobunaga…" She was red in the face now, hiding her face against his chest as she took a step closer- "You're very special to me, too- You mean everything to me, you're so strong and determined, yet so gentle- You were willing to give up your ambition, your goal of unification, just for my sake… And- that means a lot to me."

"That's because I love you."

"You're a flirt- And, I love you, too." Yuki smiled and hugged him closely. "And- I love this moment, but don't you want me to keep showing you around?"

"That I do-" He chuckled, giving her body a soft squeeze before letting her go. He smiled at her as she grinned back up at him.

"We can go over my life achievements later, if you really want- There are a few more, I suppose-" She was enjoying his interest and his care. It was oddly reminding her of Hideyoshi- But, that's because Hideyoshi always cared. Now- it was actually Nobunaga, giving full interest and intent, who wore a smile that reminded her of romance movies she has seen on television- or a drama. Ah- It was so different.

"Please." Was all he said with a gentle look. It seemed, when he chose this new life, it meant that she was his main focus. It was different. She did know he would do anything to keep her safe and happy; he told her that himself. Just the prospect of that made it all so surreal.

She nodded and smiled back, leading him up the rest of the stairs. They walked up on the left side of the hallway, coming to a door at their left, not two feet from them.

"Let's go here, first." She gingerly took his hand, leading him into the doorway he saw. "This is sort of like my office- I'll do work in here- When I was in college, I spent everyday in here." She was sheepish at the idea. When he walked in, there was a desk by the window, along with shelves of books; that was familiar to him- Shelves of books. Both Mitsuhide and Mitsunari were collectors of books, if he were to call them that.

"I didn't realize you were related to Mitsunari-" It was a joke, obviously- having to refer to the younger male, someone who would have to be monitored, when it came to books. It was actually proven, in front of her eyes- give Mitsunari a book, and he might forget to bathe, eat, sleep and drink until the book is done.

"I might be." She laughed softly, walking closer to the shelves while still holding his hand. "Most of these were for college. Some of them were gifts from friends and parents. Some were because I just like reading sometimes. And, some are books that I wanted because of my dream- to become a fashion designer." He smiled, too. He wasn't the biggest book reader, but he was like most warlords- Like Masamune, like Kenshin, like Shingen- the book he read the most was Sun Tzu's Art of War.

"Do you have Art of War?" He asked, just curious.

"Well- I don't. But- If you want it, I can certainly get you a copy." He nodded, he wouldn't mind having a copy now. "Alright- I can look into getting you one." She smiled. "Anyway- this is my work area- for more academic work. You are welcome to use it. If you want, you can use it, like in having it-"

"I'll take you up on that." She smiled back to him, and she stepped towards the door again.

"Let's keep going, yes?" She led him from the room, right across the hall. "While that is my work office, sort-of-room- this is where I do my more recent work." He thought he understood- and walking in, it all made sense. There were bolts of fabric, another desk with paper and pencils all over it, and a sewing machine (which he didn't know) on a separate desk.

"You seem to make a lot of money, Yuki-" He muttered quietly, noticing that she did have lots of things. Not in the same European way, but she did seem to have a lot of things.

"Ah- Well, I assume I do. I'm upper middle-class."

"By yourself?"

"Yes. My parents _did_ pay for this house- but I pay for the monthly costs, as well- And, for a good amount of my things. But, I do also take good care of my things. So- I do suppose that I make a lot. I worked an office job- it's like…" How to explain it to him. "It would be similar, I suppose, to being a vassal to a lord- But, at a company." He nodded in some understanding.

"You are very impressive, Yuki."

"Well- I do have to actually work to keep myself here." She laughed softly, but thanked him with a gentle look. "This room, is self explanatory, I mean if you want to look at my work sometime, we can…?" He nodded, and they stepped out- "This room is empty." She opened the door, standing there with her hand against the knob. "Never had a reason to use it. So, it's just here."

"We could have a child."

"And- that was surprising." She turned around to look at him, cocking a brow.

"What's surprising about it?"

"You not even asking, just saying, basically, 'let's have a baby'- How about we let you get used to modern day first- let you meet my parents, yeah?"

"If you want." He chuckled, but grinned slyly at her behavior. "That wasn't a 'no' though."

"No- that was me putting it on pause." She gave him a small smile, rolling her eyes at his sly behavior. "You're lucky I love you, otherwise I would think you were way too hasty- most people you think this is hasty-"

"Well- not in my time. Sometimes, you would just end up with a child rather soon in a relationship. Sex does that."

"Sometimes I wonder why you feign ignorance."

"Because it's fun to have you explain to me, Yuki."

"And, you're still a flirt. Come- There is one more room, technically." It was. Besides the master bedroom, which he did know- there was one other room he was not familiar with. It was on the left hall with her office- well, it was now their office, opposite of them. "Sort of like this room, it has no real purpose- but it is a guest room. I had a friend stay over a couple times during college, so we could study." She opened the door to the room.

Inside was a bed, and a little table next to the bed, just like her room. On the wall was another window. Most of the rooms had windows in them. It seemed simple, and as she seemed to explain, it was just as empty as the other room.

"So- that was technically the house. Not too impressive. The only rooms that are much of a place to explore are my sewing room and my office, which you are welcome to look through- I suppose."

"Well- I would still say it is impressive. Firstly at your age- Not that I completely understand but- It is still impressive. You do most of this on your own. I like that."

"Well- Soon, I won't be alone. But- I'll need to get you used to this all first. Starting with shopping. Very soon."


End file.
